WWWednesday: November 3, 2021

Facebook has changed its name to Meta, with a sort-infinity-sign logo. That was close enough to Neil Stephenson’s “metaverse” that Axios interviewed the writer about it.

World FantasyCon (this month in Montreal) is offering day memberships. This is a hybrid con, part online and part in-person. (Thanks to File 770.)

George R.R Martin hosts a Wild Cards-themed event at the Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 13. (File770 again.)

The U.K. Guardian article about the preservation of hundreds of pulp-era Mexican movies will be of special interest to Sandy, I think, and others of you might enjoy it.

Nerds of a Feather invites fantasy writer Juliet McKenna to share six books.

Polygon highlights new SF releases this month.

The supply chain stresses are real. There is good news for readers; it probably won’t impact people willing to explore the backlist. Holiday gift books and other seasonally themed works are the most vulnerable. This Popular Science article covers the basics, with the cheery news that “publishers will be hurt by this. Writers will be hurt by this. Distributors are struggling. But consumers, not so much.” Suggestions: if you can’t get the writer’s new release, check out their backlist, consider an ebook, check a local secondhand bookstore, seek out another writer who writes a similar type of book. If you have a writer whose work you really like, preordering their upcoming book will help get it prioritized.

Sand Worm Cocktail from Jean Cocteau Cinema

Well, bummer. The mysterious radio signal thought to be coming from Proxima Centauri, first identified in 2019, actually came from somewhere on earth. (Or did it?)

Bookstores did a pretty good job of reimaging themselves—and thriving—in the past two years, but that didn’t stop a bunch of them, and others, from convening for a conference to Reimagine Bookstores.

It’s past All Hallows’ Eve, but still time for the seasonal discussion of spirits and spirit photography. It’s obvious now that most of these photos are double exposures, but some of them–like the one that opens the column this week– are just really nice photos!